Kicking off the motoring event calendar for 2016 is the renowned Autosport International Show hosted at the NEC, Birmingham UK, aiming to display all of the stars, cars and technical innovations set to impress in 2016. Covering over 1 million ft², the show has so much to offer for all petrol-heads, both trade and public alike, so we’ve cherry picked our highlights.
Williams Martini Racing Partnership
Formula One fans rejoice, previously lacking from the event has been true support from British Formula One teams and for 2016 Autosport have unveiled a rare gem of a feature. From the opportunity to see the eight metre tall motorhome (never before constructed outside of a racing circuit) to several of the iconic models from the very first Williams-Ford FW06 of 1978, The FW08C – the first F1 car driven by Ayrton Senna (Live Action Arena) to the latest Williams-Mercedes FW37 of 2015, to appearances from Felipe Massa, Claire Williams and Rob Smedley, this truly unique experience will be a highlight for all. Promising to engage and focus on the achievements of Sir Frank Williams’ team it’s set to be a big hit with the fans. In addition, why not use this opportunity to check out the motorhome and look into potential Grand Prix packages for the 2016 with the team?
Spectre-acular Appearance
Also set to appear at ASI 2016 is the highly coveted Jaguar C-X75, recently driven by Hinx in the latest James Bond Movie, SPECTRE. Specially prepared for the movie the C-X75 was provided by Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations in collaboration with development partner Williams Advanced Engineering, the division of Williams that transfers technology from Formula 1 to other market sectors. Appearing both in the Live Action Arena and at the Williams display there are opportunities to see it both in action and to see the exquisite and elaborate technology first hand.
Familiar Faces
Representing both two and four wheeled sports, Autosport International will be bringing 5 key motorsport names to the event in various formats. Starting with Phil Read – the first man to win 125cc, 250cc and 500cc world championships – and 1987 500cc world champion, Wayne Gardner, motorcycle racing will feature prominently with a stunning historic display called ‘When We Were Kings’ (stand 2280 in Hall 20) with autograph sessions also available.
Guy Martin is also set to make an appearance at the Live Action Arena where he will aim to wow the crowds on a Honda CRF450 Short Track bike, performing with a number of other riders in a show that’s not to be missed.
Reunited with the FW18, Damon Hill OBE will feature at the Williams Martini stand whilst fellow TV pundit (albeit for a different channel) Allan McNish will be sharing his behind-the-scenes stories from F1 and of course from winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans three times.
Finally, two-time World Rallycross champion and former WRC Champion, Petter Solberg will be doing his talking both on track in the Live Action Arena but also in live interviews at the Autosport Stage.
Own a piece of history
Drive away from the NEC this year and own your own slice of motoring history with the highly anticipated Coys Auction. Featuring over 60 rare and collectable road and race cars including a pristine slice of Group B rallying history and a concours competition winning 1974 Ferrari Dino 246GT it is the perfect opportunity to add to your heritage collection. The auction will take place at 14:00 on Saturday 16th January 2016.
Hot Hatch Nirvana
Celebrate the 40 year history of the much-loved model, the hatchback, at the Performance Car show “The Hot Hatch Nirvana”. Providing a must-see extravaganza bursting with high adrenaline fun fuelled by the Hatchback reputation, it is a definite yes for the tick-list to do. In addition to the stunning line-up of hot hatches, the Performance Car Show will also feature a selection of the world’s rarest and most desirable hypercars currently on sale including BAC Mono, McLaren P1 GTR and the Aston Martin Vulcan.
The Hot Hatch Nirvana event will also be interactive with it’s Wall of Fame, inviting you to upload a picture of your car to the Performance Car Show Facebook page or by posting it on Instagram or Twitter using #hothatchtag. The Hot Hatch Nirvana Wall of Fame will form the backdrop to the Top 10 finalists chosen in the global poll to find the world’s favourite performance hatchback.
Tickets cost £35pp (starting price) and also include entry into the traditional Live Action Arena and to the Autosport event itself.
So there you have it, our top five picks not to miss at this year’s event with an extra special hint below for a unique opportunity at one of the stands!
Psst…
Don’t miss the opportunity to not only see the McLaren 570S at Sportscarhire’s stand (19332 in Hall 19) but to enter their incredible prize draw with two prizes :
- To experience the McLaren 570S, capable of sprinting from 0-60mph in just 3.1sec while 0-100mph is dispatched in 6.3sec, for themselves for a day.
- A full weekend in the highly rated 2011 Porsche Cayman R plus a two-night stay for two people at the Metropole Spa Hotel, Llandrindod Wells.
Time to kick off the motoring calendar with a true feast of history, present and future luxury cars, supercars and motor racing.
